


A Silent Man

by tempered_rose



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Canon Trans Character, Crushes, F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 17:50:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12709911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tempered_rose/pseuds/tempered_rose
Summary: Krem is a quiet, patient man who enjoys fighting and looking at the Seeker when she doesn't notice. Cassandra wants to know him better but doesn't quite manage to avoid awkwardness.





	A Silent Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiraMira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraMira/gifts).



Skyhold was a far sight better than Haven, but it still had its limitations. After all, people can be held up only so long in the same close-quarters--no matter how pretty and spacious those quarters are--before tempers flared uncontrollably, alcohol became too scarce or too plenty depending, and the idleness of boredom became too much. And more pilgrims, curious or righteous or just greedy, came every day. It was a sight of the ages, Krem thought, sitting on the stone wall that overlooked the courtyard by the tavern. From inside, every so often, the Boss’s voice would carry in either laughter or enthusiasm as he told the Inquisitor a new story about their exploits.

Krem wasn’t used to this idleness, this tedium. The Boss didn’t hang around one spot for very long most times unless it was spying for the Ben-Hassrath, and even if he was doing that, he wasn’t likely to tell them. The Boss was very good about keeping his spying and his work related but not incestuous. This was the first time in a long time that Krem could remember the points converging without being parallel. He seemed to be enjoying himself more this time, and his openness with Trevelyan was surprising to Krem to say the least.

Still, Krem kept his mouth shut. He sipped on the stolen bottle of liquor and looked over the courtyard, seeing various members of the Inquisition going about their duties. He was glad that he had steered the Boss in this direction, but he hadn’t realized it’d be at the cost of Ben-Hassrath information as well. Krem didn’t trust those fuckers, but he wouldn’t ever tell the Boss that. It was an odd internal conflict, trusting one of a kind and knowing he was a spy of a war-like people. Sometimes Krem worried that the Boss would turn on them, but then he would shake his head. The Boss cared for the pleasures of life in Thedas very much, but there was one thing he valued above all of that, his Chargers. Whenever Krem felt uneasy about something, which was not often, he trusted that Bull would make the right choice. After all, why would the Bull save a poor, broken, hunted soldier like he was only to turn his back on them? Krem would understand if he was disloyal or went against the Boss in a big way, but Krem never would; so he relaxed as much as he was able.

A cold breeze came across the turrets and Krem suppressed a shiver. Maybe he should have brought a warmer tunic to wear since his armor was left with the rest of the Charger’s gear in the Tavern. Krem closed his eyes and listened to the wind rip along the curtain wall. The smell of clean snow carried on it, along with the smell of cooking meats from the kitchen. It would snow more later, Krem thought, opening his eyes and looking to the sky. He wondered if the Inquisitor would be content to sit through the storm or would they want to head off before the mountain pass became blocked.

He let himself be distracted by his thoughts, but not so much so that he didn’t notice when the Seeker left her sparring ground to take a walk along the far side of the curtain wall. A familiar warmth spread through his belly as he watched her walk and he couldn’t make himself turn away. Perhaps a dragon’s sudden arrival behind him would have been able to pull his eyes away, but anything less, and it would be impossible. Krem was no stranger to the sin of coveting, but he did not expect it would find him here. But a Seeker? That, well, that was a new one.

Krem considered getting up before she made her way all the way around the wall till she reached him, but he couldn’t be bothered to move. The guise of getting something warmer to cloak himself with was lost as he watched the Seeker walk, her lithe form warming him more than cloth ever could. He diverted his eyes when she started in his direction, not turning his head to acknowledge her as she neared. Still, to his surprise, the Seeker stopped beside him.

“Good evening, Krem.” She said. Krem, manly as he was, simply inclined his head and continued drinking. He didn’t see the Seeker frown at him. “Not joining the others?”

“Will do, later.”

“Enjoying the view?”

Krem turned his head and looked up at her, valiantly keeping the smirk from his face. “I am now.”

He saw Cassandra blush and his lips twitched but he did not grin. After a moment he spoke again, keeping himself detached and looking away from her, back to the courtyard.

“What brings you out, Seeker? Looking for the Inquisitor?”

“No. I-- The Inquisitor is in the tavern.” Krem raised an eyebrow, smirk softly crossing his face.

“I know. You didn’t answer my question.”

She was silent for a while, long enough for Krem to wonder just what exactly she had come out for. The silence stretched for so long he was about to offer an easy way out--‘tired of sparring wooden challengers, perhaps?’--but the Seeker surprised him. She shifted to sit next to him on the railing. Krem kept his expression neutral but did raise his eyebrow at her. She avoided his eyes.

So they sat together a while. Krem finished his bottle and let it drop from the wall, enjoying the sound of smashing glass on the stones below before they were silenced by the shards coming to rest in the grass.

“Someone could step on those,” she said quietly. Krem sighed but did not speak.

“How long have you been with the Iron Bull?” She asked after another few moments.

“A few years.”

Krem had had enough of these conversations before to be able to guess where this was going. Either the female in question asked him to get them in to the Boss, or they would ask about his gender. Or both. If he was disinclined to help in the first, they were more than certainly likely to bring up the second. Very few took interest in him, and those that did usually stopped when they realized he was missing certain equipment. Only paid prostitutes or the very brazen women followed through. It was enough, but Krem hadn’t expected the Seeker to be one such woman who would ask after the Bull and she seemed too reserved for the other conversation.

“You must be very good. So long in so ferocious a company without any obvious grievous injuries…”

Krem wondered if that was a new way to segue into asking about his gender. He tried to keep the suspicion off his face and out of his tone.

“I’ve had a few. They healed.”

“Nothing _too_ serious, I hope?”

Krem looked over at her and wanted to put an end to this. He didn’t want to have this conversation with her, of all people. Disappointment but reluctant acceptance of his situation flooded his bloodstream and he had the sudden urge to go stab something, preferably repeatedly.

“I’ve not got a cock, if that’s what you’re asking.”

The Seeker’s cheeks burned bright red and she looked away quickly.

“That’s not…” She struggled to finish her sentence, embarrassment choking her. “That’s not what I was-- I know that you don’t.”

“Then what were you asking?” The frustration bled out into Krem’s voice.

“As I said...I hope nothing too serious.” Cassandra replied, clearing her throat.

“No.” Krem pushed himself up, standing just so that he wouldn’t fall off the curtain wall. “Goodnight Seeker.”

He then took a step back from the ledge and continued on down the wall, leaving her alone where he had once been. For a flicker of a moment, he thought about going to pick up the glass from where he’d dropped it. He let the thought die as he headed into the tavern to get a new bottle. Unfortunately, the thoughts of glass didn’t go as quickly as he hoped, and it burned inside of his mind even as the hours rolled by and Krem watched Trevelyan stagger out of the bar, Dorian following behind.

* * *

Many days and a long journey to the Hissing Wastes later, Krem was almost regretting telling Bull to hunt out the Inquisition. The sand was never-ending and the heat was worse until night fell and then it was so frigid, they may as well return to Skyhold’s bountiful snow. Dragons and other monsters lurked everywhere, not to mention those dark cultists who had no qualms about injuring anyone they could get hold of. And the Inquisitor was determined to keep them there for God knew how long.

Krem almost hated Trevelyan in that moment. Almost.

The only respite so far was the fact Krem wasn’t the only one suffering. The Seeker, the Elf, and Bull had all been brought out for anything the Wastes could throw, or so Trevelyan had said. Krem hung back with the small band of chargers and let their leaders ride ahead throughout the journey and was content enough to do so. He made himself useful when they inevitably got into scrapes on the way there, but otherwise it was just his duty to follow orders and not get involved in the specifics. That suited him just fine.

They had set up camp just outside the tomb at Sunstop Mountain and none ventured too far beyond the warmth of a fire. The desert was entirely devoid of any warmth once the sun had set and it was cruel compared to the blistering scorching realm the desert commanded during the day. Krem stayed silent as the rest of the Chargers brought along drank and were merry. There was a rumor that there would be a dragon hunt before they began the journey home. Krem hoped so; it had been awhile since he had helped kill something of any challenge.

When the hour was late and most had either retired respectfully or passed out, Krem looked up from the fire to see the Seeker heading toward her shared tent. They had not spoken in the weeks since that day on the wall at Skyhold, not that they had reason to. Still, Krem wanted the feeling in his gut and the disappointment he had felt at the way the conversation ended to be resolved in some way. He wasn’t sure how, or even why, he still wanted her after what she’d said. But the shame, embarrassment, of how she’d reacted to what he had crudely stated… Perhaps he had been too harsh. Maybe she wasn’t like the other wenches who had no tact or manners. Maybe she really had been inquiring about his health.

It didn’t matter. Krem kept trying to tell himself that as he made himself comfortable with his bedroll by the fire and looked at the stars overhead. He wasn’t sure how long he stared at them before he finally fell asleep, the popping of the embers and the sound of Bull’s laughter a short distance away mixing to put him to sleep like a soldier’s lullaby.

 

The ride back after discovering the Tomb of Fairel and all the loot it contained was lengthy as they were weighed down quite extensively. It would be another month before they reached Skyhold, and that was if they hauled it through the middle of nowhere they currently were in, which was proving difficult. Sandstorms and the constant need of a reliable water supply made keeping to the trail difficult and slow-going.

Krem rode ahead with the Chargers, keeping an eye out as best they could for any Venatori that were out to ambush the main column. They had to force themselves to take shelter on one such run because of a huge wall of sand that they could see headed in their direction. Krem gave the order for two of them to go back and tell the Inquisitor to slow down while the rest of them waited for the storm to blow over.

The wind picked up as the front moved closer and it was during a loud gust that Krem paused and looked over his shoulder. It was just in time to see a mage hurtling a fireball in his direction. Ducking quickly, Krem hit the ground, giving a shout for the Chargers to watch out. He felt the heat of the flame over his skin but luckily it missed. Krem rolled and withdrew his sword and lunged forward to the nearest mage who dared cast a spell against him.

There were more of them than he thought there had been, he realized too late, when a cluster of them threw up a wall of flame. The sand burned against his skin as it began to brush by, but it was nothing compared to the heat of the fire that was slowly moving closer to pin them all. Damn, damn, damn, he thought as he sliced through the arm of a Venatori, hearing the satisfying sound of a limb landing on the ground and a cry of pain from the one who had just lost it.

His field of vision was obscured as the sand became too much; it was all he could do to avoid the magework being hurled at him and keep his eyes open enough to make sure just who he was slicing into. His muscles burned with the familiar ache of battle, but the conditions were definitely not helping. Any orders he gave were lost on the wind and it seemed the mages were one up on them, but even they were having difficulty seeing.

“Krem!” The booming voice of Iron Bull came through the scream of the wind and Krem relaxed a little.

“It’s all gone to shit Boss,” Krem called back, unable to see the giant of a Qunari but for his shadow in the distance.

“I’ll have this wrapped up soon.” Bull said again from closer and maybe the storm was distorting his shadow? How did he get so close so soon?

“Can change the weather now, can you?” Krem called back, reenergized because of the help.

“Didn’t you know? That’s one of my many talents.” Came the Inquisitor’s voice from somewhere to his right. The sand made everything a whirl of brown, mixing with the various colors of spellwork and cloth and armor that was now being tossed around. Krem never liked magic that much, but he did trust the Inquisitor if no one else.

The storm continued, even after the group of Venatori were decimated. Groans of pain and death were lost in the sound of the storm and someone’s firm grip on his elbow, the Seeker, Krem realized a moment before he landed a heavy blow to the sudden grip on his person, pulled him towards where the others were taking refuge. It was a slip of a cavern worn into the rock, but it was enough to be able to breathe properly and see the dimness around them if nothing else.

Krem rested against the wall and slowly tried to catch his breath. The Seeker rested her head against his shoulder, also out of breath, and Krem slowly realized that she must have been there the whole time as well.

“Not quite wooden training dummies, are they?” Krem asked and Cassandra smiled.

“No. Better though.”

Krem smiled and closed his eyes while he rested his head along the wall of rock behind him. He didn’t even mind her closeness; he even welcomed it.

“Are you alright?” She asked quietly as the others waited out the storm nearby.

He looked down at her and saw the concern in her eyes. He nodded once. “Are you?”

“Fine. I just was wondering, since it took a moment for us to arrive.”

“It’s not the first skirmish I’ve been in, Lady Seeker.”

“I know.” Cassandra said, eyes never leaving his. “That doesn’t mean I don’t...wonder about you.”

“Worry, you mean to say?”

She didn’t answer and Krem raised an eyebrow. “Why worry after me?”

“You are valuable. To the Inquisition. To Bull.”

Krem nodded. “The Chargers are.”

Cassandra stared at him and looked as if she were going to add something else, but Trevelyan started moving toward the mouth of the cave.

“It’s getting better. Let’s get a move on before more of those bastards show up.”

Krem focused back on duty and gave a nod to Cassandra as he fell in line behind Bull to go back out. The Seeker, however, kept close to him and it was unusual to the say least even as they got back on their horses.

He remained silent as he guided his horse along the trail and kept an eye on the others and the hills around them to make sure they weren’t snuck back up on again. The Seeker remained beside him though she didn’t say anything. He wondered, but didn’t ask until they were finally moving again, he at the rear and she beside him.

“Shouldn’t you be up there, with the Inquisitor?” Krem asked as the sand finally went back to rest as it should.

“I want to be here.”

“Why?”

“There’s this interesting person that’s back here.” Cassandra started, keeping her horse level with his. “I wish to know more about him.”

Krem looked over with a raised eyebrow. “Why?” He asked again.

The Seeker seemed to be warring with herself for a moment before she looked over at him, directly in the eye.

“I like you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I would like to. I think I would like you more. You’re handsome.”

“So is the Inquisitor. And the Templar commander.”

Cassandra made a dismissive sound. “Yes, and they are also interesting. But it is you I like. Your skills in battle are very good, admirable. You also have an understanding about people that I find interesting.”

Krem studied her for a minute in silence, broken only by the sound of the horses and the armor moving along in a steady pace. She seemed honest and frankly it was the most attention he’d had in years that wasn’t unpleasant.

“Very well then. You can get to know me, and see if you still find me interesting, Seeker.”

“Then you should start by calling me Cassandra.”

“Krem.”

Cassandra’s smile was beautiful when she gave it to him and Krem wondered just what in Thedas he was getting himself into but he remained quiet as they continued on their way back toward the edge of the damn desert that would eventually get them back to Skyhold. He wondered if she would still find him worthy of her time by the time they reached the castle.

He was a patient man. She would learn that soon enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is something you like. I can write a second part one of these days if you want. :S


End file.
